246: Chepstow Castle and the Town Trail (Wye Valley 2024)
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- WYE VALLEY WALK FEATURING CHEPSTOW CASTLE AND THE TOWN TRAIL
"Chepstow Castle and the Town Trail”
Filmed 27th August 2024
Post-production completed 13th Sep 2024
I present the first of seven films shot in the Wye Valley during the end of August and the start of September 2024 when I had two week’s leave from work.
In this film I return to my old hometown of Chepstow, which I featured back in 2018, in addition of course to my very earliest films in the 1990s. My reasons for returning to Chepstow again are mainly due to the fact that, since I’ve recently featured places like Gloucester and Alvington, which were important childhood locations for me, Chepstow is the next stage of my life during those childhood years.
My other reason for returning to Chepstow was because I wanted to film inside Chepstow Castle, which I had not previously done. I managed to get inside, although part of it was closed off for maintenance purposes, as well as the fact that the annual Castel Roc Festival had just ended, so there was a little disruption whilst the event stage, etc. was being cleared away.
Filmed in the Wye Valley in the county of Monmouthshire. Locations include Chepstow town centre, the Portwall, the Dell, Chepstow Castle, and the Old Wye Bridge.
Written, presented, researched, directed, camera and sound, edited and music by Patrick Leach.
Special thanks to Visit Monmouthshire and Visit Dean Wye for their information used in my research for this film.
Click here for a map showing the route of the walk: explore.osmaps...
Link to Chepstow Town Trail guide: www.visitdeanw...
Click here for the location on Google Maps where I parked for this walk: maps.app.goo.g...
Link to Natalie’s RUclips channel: / @ghostramblersinvestig...
"The Solitary Rambler" is my series of amateur films of my journeys in the countryside accompanied by my own musical scores, which I compose and perform on my Yamaha keyboard.
Please note that, as with all the films I make, this is not actually intended to be an extensive guide to the area. This is a mini-movie of my personal journey along the walk, in which I often share some of my own personal stories.
If you are new to my channel, I strongly recommend reading the description under the “about” tab, which will provide a clearer understanding of what to expect in my films: / solitaryrambler
There is also a short “Introduction to the Solitary Rambler” video, which briefly explains what my films are all about: / solitaryrambler
DISCLAIMER: Although I work hard to ensure all information is correct to the best of my knowledge, I am only featuring information I have found online and/or in books during my research when putting this film together, so I cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes or errors.
Many thanks and I hope you enjoy watching!
IF YOU ENJOY MY CHANNEL THEN PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT ME:
For a small fee you can download any of my musical soundtracks I have composed for my films: patrickleach.b...
Or if you would like to make a small donation with no obligations then you can do so through Buy Me a Coffee: ko-fi.com/soli...
How lovely it is to be taken through the lush green of a Welsh summer in the midst of brutal winter. Your films always give me a lift. Thanks for sharing.
Yes it's nice to be reminded of the warmer weather during what we're experiencing now. Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching 👍
I used to live in St Mary’s Street over fifty years ago,happy memories😁
Love wandering around Chepstow.
Love the old Wye bridge and just sitting by the banks of the Wye watching the river flow.👍
Nice one thanks for watching 👍
Thanks for filming your home town. I loved all the alley ways, the lovely sculpture of the man with crossed arms, your old neighborhood, the beautiful Wye bridge and castle. Chepstow is lovely Patrick.
Glad you enjoyed it Sofia. It's a lovely town, one I never appreciated during the time I lived there, but I can see why it's great now. Thanks for watching, all the best 👍
Another great video, I am born and bred forester (Born in Whitecroft and living in Bream) and must say how much my family and me enjoy watching your exceptional video's about our local area and portraying how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world.
Thank You. 😊😊😊
That is really kind of you to say, much appreciated. You certainly do live in a wonderful area. Many thanks for your comments and for taking the time to watch. All the best 👍😀
Fantastic castle & bridge lovely Place thanks for sharing Patrick Cheers
Glad you enjoyed it, many thanks as always for taking the time to watch 👍
Hello Patrick , that was brilliant Chepstow really is lovely I cant ever remember walking around Chepstow all I ever remember is driving by the race course and Tintern Abbey . Thank you Patrick as always really enjoy the walk loved the church also.
Thanks as always Shaun for watching and commenting. Chepstow is a great place, glad you enjoyed the walk around. All the best 👍
Very enjoyable thank you 😊
Many thanks Jan for taking the time to watch 👍
Its always cathartic to go back home again.
Yes it can feel like that going back home 👍
Another new place for me. Thanks for sharing this intersting walk.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks as always for watching 👍
Nice walk Patrick what a lovely place Chepstow is thanks for showing us your home town , glad you were able to get into the church 😀! Chepstow castle and the views over the river wye amazing thanks Patrick and "Happy New Year" 🎉🎉
Happy New Year Russ and Wendy! 🎉🎉 Glad you enjoyed seeing my old childhood town. Yep got in the church this time! 😁 Thanks for watching 👍
Thank you, iv been looking forward to this film, and it didn't disappoint Patrick . It was fabulous to meet you. Happy New Year to you, and I can't wait to watch this year's adventures
Glad you enjoyed it Natalie, fab to meet you too, so thanks for stopping to say hello that day. Happy New Year to you too and all the best for 2025 👍
Thanks, Patrick. Chepstow was my home town too, growing up in the 1970s. Went to Wyedean school. Will be visiting Chepstow (after migrating to Australia in the 1980s) and staying at the 'Three Tuns' in August this year. I had stitches put in at the old hospital too. Thanks for showing me around my old town.
Nice one, Chepstow was a great place in which to grow up, although I hated school unfortunately! 😂 I was at Chepstow School. Many thanks for watching and commenting 👍
It seems that Chepstow is so full of history, Patrick. It seems a very charming place banked on the side of the lovely River Wye. The gatehouse is an interesting structure as well as the Port Wall, which were well built and sturdy to this day. The Castle is an amazing building, situated right next to the Wye, and looks most impressive where you showed it from the Old bridge spanning the river. A great place to say that the town was part of your upbringing, Patrick. A most enjoyable video, thank you. Keep well.
I'm very proud to say that I spent a great deal of my childhood in Chepstow, so it was lovely being back, albeit for just a few hours to film this. It's a great historical town with the Castle and Portwall. Thanks for watching Ffranc, all the best 👍
As a chepstonian it’s funny to turn on you tube and see your home town and with your commentary takes me back,how many times did you sit on the submarine gun😂
Flippin' eck I remember playing on that gun as a kid, defo would have sat on it too! 👍😁
Great you managed into church Patrick, always like seeing them & stained glass windows. Very interesting a lovely place. Woolies is much missed. Thanks as always for taking us with you. Wonderful film.
Many thanks Lesley. It was great being back in Chepstow again, a bonus to get inside that church. All the best 👍
What a beautiful place to grow up. I really like the castle. It's built on a great vantage point. When I walk down my old street where my parents lived it brings back lots of nostalgia. You also wish you could call in on them but they don't live there anymore. I guess you probably feel the same on passing your grans home. There have been lots of changes since you left. Did they rebuild your primary school elsewhere then? Lincoln castle here holds concerts too. It's a way of extra income to keep these old castles up and running. Amazing what they built by hand. Thanks Patrick. A rather wonderful walk 😊
Chepstow was a lovely place in which to grow, but I just never appreciated it at the time. Yes it's a weird feeling walking along your old street knowing that the people you lived with are no longer around. The house in Hardwick Ave was a corner stone for our family as everyone would congregate at Grannie's house, and I still visited there long after I moved away from the area in 1981, but once she was gone at the end of the 1990's, our family never met up so often sadly. I don't think my old primary school was rebuilt elsewhere, but I've noticed the odd new school in other parts of the town since my time. Yes it's great that these castles are used for concerts too, great places for that. Glad you enjoyed it Kelly, thanks as always for watching 👍😀
Dudley Castle Zoo was a treat too!
@@judithparker4608 I think you are commenting on the wrong video 😁
What an interesting town. I think I drove through or past Chepstow many many years ago. Definitely worth a look round if I'm ever that way again. Thanks for the guided tour.
It's one of those places I never appreciated all the years I was living there, but returning always makes me realise how great Chepstow really is. Thanks for watching Michael, all the best 👍
It was such a good walk around Chepstow, Patrick. It brought back good memories for you and for me. There was heaps of cracking history there-I loved the wine cellar and Hardwick Avenue. Re-Chepstow Castle O think I told you about Elmdale Road when we met. Paul and I walked down there to see if we could see the castle and came to a dead end. A guy out front offered us a view in his garden. We were looking up at you. Ha ha! I had to laugh - stitches and no crying and a sweet from the nurse. Ah, fantastic. Well, good going as always. Mark
Morning Mark, it was great to walk around Chepstow again and good to seek out those places that were very memorable to me, especially Hardwick Avenue. I do indeed remember you telling me about you and Paul at Elmdale haha! 😂 It's a cul-de-sac as you know, but I wonder if the guy who let you in his garden might have been a cousin of mine - I had two distant cousins who lived on Elmdale at some point, but I dont know if they still live there to be fair. Yeah I remember being offered a sweet at the old hospital when I had the stitches in and when they were taken out later on! 😁 Glad you enjoyed the memories Mark, thanks for watching as always. All the best 👍
@@solitaryrambler Hey, Patrick, it felt like you really enjoyed Chepstow. So, good you went back to Hardwick - I checked it out as you spoke of it. Ah, I did tell - I thought I did. hey, may have been a relation. He was on the river side - great memory. I've enjoyed the whole series down here my friend. Hood going - have a great week ahead.
@@WyeExplorer I sure did thanks Mark. Hardwick Ave certainly brought back memories. Yeah I defo remember you mentioning Elmdale before. Thanks Mark, have a good week too 👍
@@solitaryrambler A pleasure as always Patrick. These trips are priceless.
Hi Patrick hope this finds you well 🙏🏼
Enjoyed this walk around your old home town ! I remember going on a mystery trip with my parents from South wales on our annual visit to my grandparents. Great memories 😊
Best regards Simon
Morning Simon, glad you enjoyed my old hometown! 😀 It's a great place, isn't it. Thanks for watching, all the best 👍
Happy new year Patrick ...Always a joy to relax with a cuppa watching one of your walks ...Hope 2025 is a great year for your walks and hopefully the 10k well deserved subscriber's is hit
Happy New Year to you too Wil, many thanks for watching. Here's hoping I might reach 10k subs this year 🤞 All the best to you too for 2025 👍😀
What a lovely place Chepstow looks, thanks for showing us around your childhood home I bet there's some many happy memories.
Glad you enjoyed it Steve. It was lovely being back there, even if only for a few hours whilst filming this. Thanks for watching, all the best 👍
Happy New Year, Patrick! I'm looking forward to seeing more of your adventures this year 😊
Happy New Year to you too Richard! Many thanks for that, all the best 👍😀
Can't believe how timely and useful this video is! Last weekend we started looking for a new location for a short break soon and my husband said "do you know what Chepstow's like?"... so thank you!
There you go, one of those coincidences 😁 Thanks for watching 👍
Happy New Year Patrick 🎉 Hope you have a wonderful year. Chepstow castle is spectacular. Will put on the list for 2025. Hope you’ve been keeping well, we have a lot of catching up on your videos due to a bereavement our dog Edward, early last year. All the best
Happy New Year to you too Ruth. Sorry to hear about your pet dog. Hope you have a great 2025 too, all the best 👍😀
well Patrick yet another delightful video.chepstow looks a lovely little place,and the church looked so beautiful,the arch way looked impressive,it reminded a bit like York.the castle was so beautiful.i like it when you talk about your family history it’s so interesting.cannot wait for another delightful video.happy new year to you.hope you had a good one.take care.👍👍❤️❤️
Thanks for watching Shane. Yes Chepstow was a walled town like York, although much smaller. Glad you enjoyed the family history. Happy New Year to you too and all the best for 2025 👍
Yet another wonderful video Patrick. I hope you are keeping well my good man. All the best.
Many thanks for that. All good here thanks, all the best to you for 2025 👍
Unbelievably, having lived in Newport between 1984 and 1989, I’ve never visited Chepstow……. Must put that right 👍👍👍👍👍👍
You should! 👍
Hi Patrick, it’s so good to see the history amongst all the busyness of the town. Thanks for sharing your walk with us. All the best for 2025
Morning Claire, thanks as always for watching. It was nice to be back in Chepstow. All the best to you too for 2025 👍😀
Nice for you to have a memory trip to your home town Chepstow and Castle. An interesting tour. I bet a few changes though. Hearing those seagulls sounded as though you were close to the seaside. I don't recall ever going to Chepstow, but think an aunt once lived nearby. I really liked your piano arrangement and competent playing too. Thanks Patrick.
Hi Shanita, it was nice returning to Chepstow, even of it was only for a few hours to film this. The town doesn't appear to have changed too much from what I saw, but there are certainly a few differences from when I lived there long ago. I always remember the seagulls when walking down back the riverbank, glad that's still the same. Glad you liked my piano arrangement, a very old tune I composed when I was actually living in Chepstow. Thanks Shanita for all the comments and for watching 👍😀
I miss your music. Great video thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching 👍
Now, that is what I call a castle! Fab!
It sure is a great castle 👍😀
Have lived in and around Chepstow since 1976. My daughter and grandchildren still live there. I live in Yorkley ... 50yds from the Forest of Dean. Wonderful with the deer, sheep, and boar. Thanks for this. I'll say Hi for you when I go to Chepstow tomorrow. Nana Karen UK
Me to👍
Nice one, many thanks for your lovely comments and for taking the time to watch. All the best 👍😀
My Old school as well.
Lovely Patrick, i will be passing the Castle tomorrow on my way to film in the forest of dean.
great Vlog as always and a really nice Watch! best wishes Darren👌👍👍👍
Many thanks as always Darren for your great comments and for watching! 😀 Hope your day in the Forest of Dean goes well. Stay safe down there, it's still extremely icy up this way 👍
@@solitaryrambler It was Very Icy and rather Chilly!
Happy new year Patrick. All the best for 2025.
Happy New Year to you too Luke, best wishes for 2025 👍
Nostalgic for you, Patrick, but totally new to us! Very enjoyable tour of Chepstow. Happy New Year!
It certainly was nostalgic for me John. Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching and a Happy New Year to you too. All the best 👍
Happy New Year Patrick 🎉 thankyou for another lovely walk 😊 am looking forward to your adventures in 2025.
Happy New Year to you too Steph, thanks for watching as always. All the best to you for 2025 👍😀
Loved seeing yer home Town m8, great video this, can you speak any Welsh ? Beautiful place, thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks for watching Jay. No I wish I had learnt some Welsh as they started teaching it my old school after I had moved away from the area. All the best 👍
@solitaryrambler shame lol you could say welcome on your chanel in Welsh
Brilliant Patrick! It's a shame about the five Alls and woolies (pick n' mix anyone?). Hope 2025 is awesome for you! from one old 'ex-Chepstonian' to another.
Thanks for watching. Yeah I don't know what was happening with the Five Alls, but it was great to be in Chepstow. All the best to you too for 2025 👍
You can see Chepstow is still strongly in your heart and soul you smiled the whole way through the video great stuff thank you for doing Chepstow justice. Ps which camera did you film with the quality is amazing.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks as always for watching. Yes it was good to be back despite only being there for those few hours to film this. I was using a Sony handycam for this 👍
Happy new year
Happy new year to you too 👍
I can't remember which Chepstow pub or hotel WE met in when you were first laying plans for the solitary rambler! Phil Begnett here btw...
Morning Phil, it was the George, I think you were working there at the time. The start of 1990 if I remember! 👍😀
@@solitaryrambler ah yeah that makes sense mate. Later that year I joined the RAF and that was probably why I wasn't involved!
I like city old
Hardwick Arms Streetly
@@judithparker4608 ?
Ocker Bonk...in the Black Country
@judithparker4608 sorry but I don't understand your comment.